A known image forming apparatus can form an image on both sides of a recording medium. The image forming apparatus has a built-in transport mechanism that transports the recording medium. This transport mechanism forms a first transport path and a second transport path.
In the duplex printing function, first, a recording medium drawn out from a feed tray is transported along the first transport path. As the recording medium passes through an image forming position on the first transport path, an image is formed on one side of the recording medium.
Thereafter, the recording medium continues to be transported on the first transport path, and when the rear end of the recording medium reaches a position where the rear end passes through the branch position from the first transport path to the second transport path, the recording medium is switched back so that the recording medium is introduced to the second transport path.
Then, the recording medium transported on the second transport path is introduced to the first transport path again at a position located upstream of the above-mentioned image forming position on the first transport path. At this time, the surface and back of the recording medium are reversed. Thus, as the recording medium is transported along the first transport path and passes through the above-mentioned image forming position again, an image is formed on the other side of the recording medium. In the image forming apparatus which has a duplex printing unit, the duplex printing unit is provided at the position of the lowermost part of the image forming apparatus. This duplex printing unit forms the second transport path mentioned above. The feed tray is located above the duplex printing unit.
In the image forming apparatus according to the related art as described above, when the recording medium transported along the second transport path is jammed (when a jam occurs) inside the duplex printing unit, the user first detaches the feed tray from the main body, and then removes the jammed recording medium by sticking a hand into the space where the feed tray was previously accommodated.
However, generally, the space where the feed tray was previously accommodated is often very narrow. It is difficult to remove the recording medium positioned in between a transport roller and a pinch roller that are provided in the duplex printing unit.